Top Ten Colorado Sports Events for 2020

The covid19 pandemic put a damper on the Colorado sports teams and on sports nation wide in 2020.  Still there were some memorable games for Colorado teams.  My annual top 10 list:

NUMBER TEN:

Denver Broncos 10/18: It was a disappointing year for the Broncos as the team only has 5 wins heading into the season finale vs the Raiders.  But the Broncos did get two entries on my top ten list.  The first?  The Broncos beat their long time nemesis the New England Patriots 18 to 12 on the Patriots home field.  Sure the Patriots did not have Tom Brady in 2020 but this was especially a surprise with the Broncos starting 3rd stringer Brett Rypien at quarterback.

NUMBER NINE:

Colorado Rockies 9/6: Rockies 7 Dodgers 6 A second straight win for the Rockies in LA (they had lost 17 of 19 against the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine before this series). The Rockies were the only team to win a series against the World Series Champion Dodgers in 2020.

NUMBER EIGHT:

Denver Nuggets 8/30: Jamal Murray with a 50 point performance to give the Nuggets a win in an elimination game vs Utah (119-107) and squaring their playoff series 3 games to 3. Murray has scored 142 points combined in 3 consecutive playoff games, emerging as Denver's next all star.

NUMBER SEVEN:

Colorado Buffaloes football 11/7: The Buffs beat ucla 48-42 in karl dorrell's first game as head coach.  This was a big surprise as Dorrell was a late hire after previous coach Mel Tucker quit unexpectedly.  With limited off season practices and with a quarterback who played at safety the year before, this was a surprise win.

NUMBER SIX:

Colorado Avalanche 8/31: Facing elimination down 3 games to 1 the Avalanche raced to a 5-0 lead in the first period and won their playoff game 6-3 against the Dallas Stars.  The Avs were without their top 2 goalies and won the game with 3rd stringer Michael Hutchinson in net.  The Avs losing this series in game 7 was the year's biggest sports disappointment, but this win and the game 6 win when facing elimination were highlights at the time.  They just couldn't win 3 straight elimination games like their arena partners the Nuggets did vs Utah and the LA Clippers.

NUMBER FIVE:

Denver Nuggets 9/11: Nuggets 111 Clippers 105 Down 3 games to 1, facing elimination in the series and behind 16 points in the 3rd quarter, it didn't look good for the Nuggets.  But the team had an amazing comeback to win the game in the 4th quarter to force a game 6.

NUMBER FOUR:

Denver Broncos 11/1: Broncos 31 Chargers 30  Broncos come back from 21 points down in the 3rd quarter, and score on the last play of the game with 1 second on the clock, to beat the Chargers.  Drew Lock had 3 td passes in the comeback and Phillip Lindsay had a big 55 yard td run to spark the comeback.

NUMBER THREE:

Colorado Avalanche 8/2:Nazem Kadri scores with 1/10th of a second left to give the Avalanche a 2-1 win over St Louis in the first game back after the pandemic shutdown.  A big win as the Blues were in 1st place, the Avs in second place at the time.

NUMBER TWO:

Denver Nuggets 9/15: Nuggets 104 Clippers 89 - Nuggets win game 7, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit, to reach the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2009.

NUMBER ONE:

Denver Nuggets 9/1: Nuggets 80 Jazz 78 in game 7 to win the series after coming back from a 3 games to 1 deficit. Sure the Nuggets came back from a similar 3-1 deficit in their next series against the Clippers, but this game had more drama than any other Nuggets playoff game at the end. Utah had a 3 pointer that just missed at the buzzer which would have given the Jazz the win and the series.

So the Nuggets surprising playoff run to the Western Conference Finals was my highlight of the Colorado sports year in 2020.  What surprises will 2021 bring?  Stay tuned ...

37 years ago Gary Kubiak was suddenly the Broncos starting qb (just like Kendall Hinton will be today!)

 

The Broncos have never faced a situation like today in starting Kendall Hinton at quarterback. The only situation kind of like it was November 20, 1983. Elway's rookie year. John came down with the flu game day morning. His backup, Steve Deberg, was unavailable. So the Broncos had to start 3rd string rookie Gary Kubiak at qb that day. "Kubiak??!!!!" my Mom said when she heard the news. Kubiak was not the household name he is today - rather a little known rookie qb who made the team knowing he'd never be the starter in Denver with Elway around.

Kubiak went on to lead the Broncos to a 38-27 win over the Seahawks that day. His first TD pass was a 78 yarder to Steve Watson.

I'll be rooting for Hinton today, just like I was for the unknown Gary Kubiak when I was sitting in the South Stands watching Gary's debut 37 years ago!

My Top Ten Bronco Home Openers in the Past 52 Years

 

This week I was featured on a CBS Channel 4 segment on the Denver Broncos opener.  My story is that I have been to every Broncos home opener since 1967 except for one!  I will also miss Monday night's home opener against the Titans (as well as all other fans) but I'll be cheering on the team from home.  Pictured above is my ticket from the first home opener I attended at age 11 - at a $2 kids end zone price of $2!

This segment got me to thinking - what were the best Bronco home openers I have attended?  Listed below is my top ten list. I have lots of great memories from these games!

NUMBER TEN:

1971 Broncos 10 Miami 10 - the famous "half a loaf" game where the broncos, tied with the Dolphins in the last two minutes, ran out the clock rather than go for the win.  Coach Lou Saban said after the game "half a loaf is better than none" (meaning he'd take the tie) which alienated him with Bronco fans for the rest of his time in Denver.  Actually in retrospect a tie was a good result for the Broncos as the Dolphins went on to a 10-3-1 record while the Broncos finished 4-9-1 with Saban leaving as head coach half way through the season.  The only Bronco touchdown?  from wide receiver Dwight Harrison, who was later traded to Buffalo for one of the best Bronco receivers ever (Haven Moses).

NUMBER NINE:

2001 Broncos 31 NY Giants 20 - a Monday night football opening of the new stadium. The fans go home happy but then find out Bronco legendary wide receiver Ed McCaffery had suffered a season ending injury and the 9/11 tragedy happened the next morning.

NUMBER EIGHT:

1977 Broncos 7 St Louis Cardinals 0 - Broncos famed Orange Crush defense was in fine form with this shutout of the Cardinals at the start of a magical 77 Bronco season leading to the team's first Super Bowl appearance.   The Broncos offense was a mess under new qb Craig Morton in this game but came around as the season progressed (highlighted by scoring 34 points in the franchise's first playoff game against the Steelers)

NUMBER SEVEN:

2016 Broncos 21 Carolina 20 - In a rare Super Bowl rematch in the kickoff game of the 2016 season, the Panthers miss a field goal in the final seconds to give the win to the Broncos.  Peyton Manning had retired, and going into the game the Broncos were underdogs with qb Trevor Siemian getting his first start. But Siemian had a surprisingly good game to lead the Broncos to the win.

NUMBER SIX:

1980 Broncos 41 Cowboys 20 -a promising home debut for new Bronco qb Matt Robinson, who had 2 rushing td's, as the broncos got revenge for the Super Bowl 12 loss to America's team two years earlier.  Siemian and Robinson's first games as Broncos starting qbs would not to lead to long term success for either, but at least they can think back to their successful openers.

NUMBER FIVE:

1967 Broncos 26 Patriots 21 - My first ever home opener at age 11.  It was Floyd Little's regular season debut, and fans were excited after the Broncos were the first AFL team to beat NFL teams in two preseason games (the Lions and the Vikings). This win gave us more hope.  Hopes that were quickly dashed with a 51-0 loss to the Raiders the next week which led to a Broncos 9 game losing streak.

NUMBER FOUR:

1975 Broncos 37 Chiefs 33 - Charlie Johnson throws 3 td passes in a game that featured a spectacular debut for Broncos rookie Rick Upchurch. Rick had a 13 yard td run, 3 catches for 153 yards including a 90 yard td, 3 kickoff returns for 88 yards, and a 30 yard punt return.  To this day the best opening game for a Bronco rookie I have ever seen.

NUMBER THREE:

2008 Broncos 39 Chargers 38 - Jay Cutler throws 4 td passes including the winning td and a successful 2 point conversion with 24 seconds to play.

NUMBER TWO:

1986 Broncos 38 Raiders 36 - John Elway throws for 2 tds and scores on a pass from Steve Sewell on another to give the Broncos a thrilling come from behind win over the Raiders.

NUMBER ONE:

2013 Broncos 47 Ravens 27 - Peyton Manning throws 7 tds as the Broncos avenge their playoff loss the previous season to the defending Super Bowl champ Ravens.

What was the one Bronco home opener I missed?  2012's win over the Steelers featuring Peyton Manning's Bronco regular season debut.  I was on a once in a lifetime Alaska trip at the time, doing a flight seeing excursion over the great mountain (Denali) at kickoff.  This 2012 game would have been in my top 10 somewhere had I been there!

With Von Miller likely out for the season the Broncos are underdogs for Monday night's opener vs the Titans.  But I have learned over the years - never count out the Broncos, no matter how bad the team looks, in a home opener!  The Broncos record for home openers I have attended?  44 wins 8 losses!

Remembering Carroll Hardy, could Jack Lambert have been a Bronco?

 

Carroll Hardy passed away this past week.  He gained fame as the only player to pinch hit for Ted Williams during his baseball career.  But there was much more to Hardy than that, as this article on the cubuffs.com site relates.

 Though I was only 9 years old I do remember seeing Hardy play for the minor league Denver Bears in 1965 at the end of his baseball career.

What I remember more was his role with the Denver Broncos.  As the cubuffs.com article says: 

"As a pro football executive, he was often credited with helping to build Denver's famous "Orange Crush" defense that led to the team's first AFC West Division title and Super Bowl appearance in the 1977 season."

As a big Bronco fan and young season ticket holder in the 70's I wanted to learn more about the game.  I saw an ad for a book called "Scouts Guide to the NFL".  I ordered it. This 1976 publication was written by Joel Buchsbaum, one of the earliest NFL draft analysts (even before Mel Kiper).  In it he speculated that the 77 Broncos would be a threat to take the division title away from the Super Bowl Champion Oakland Raiders.  I was stunned - though hopeful of a good Bronco season I hadn't read anywhere that the Broncos could actually beat out the Raiders in 1977.  And of course that's what the Broncos did - shocking the pro football world.  Buchsbaum gained credibility with me and I always read his draft guides until his death in 2002.  Buchsbaum had a unique life of his own - read more about him here.

Buchsbaum once wrote about Hardy's role in the 1974 Broncos draft. The Broncos had selected Randy Gradishar in the first round. When the team's second round pick came up Hardy, as part of the Broncos scouting staff, recommended another linebacker, rated at the top of the Broncos draft board.. "We already have our linebacker," coach John Ralston said. The Broncos drafted defensive lineman Carl Wafer in round 2 (who never did anything in the NFL)

The linebacker who the Broncos scouting staff led by Hardy had rated at the top of their draft board in round 2?

Jack Lambert

Lambert went four picks after the Broncos to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

If this is true, imagine the Orange Crush 3-4 defense with both Gradishar and Lambert!  John Ralston deserves a lot of credit for the strong drafts the Broncos had in the early 70's, but Carroll Hardy had a big part in those drafts too.  RIP Carroll.

53 Years of Denver Bronco Home Games

Recently I was watching the 1967 Denver Broncos highlight film online. Before the closing credits a crowd shot of the Bronco fans was shown.  I saw a familiar pair in the crowd - my brother Dave and me! Upon further study (and with Dave's confirmation) it was us! The story of that picture and 53 years of me attending Bronco home games:

My brother and I attended the home opener that year against the Boston Patriots.  My Dad dropped us off at the stadium (I was 11 years old, my brother was 14).  That was the only game we bought tickets for, but we went to other home games that season.  At the old Mile High (then “Bears Stadium”) there was a gap between the West stands and the South Stands were you could see 3/4ths of the field for free from a hill just outside the stadium.  My Dad used to drop off my brother, my friend Greg, and me before the game, we’d watch the action from “the hill”, and then with about 6 minutes left in the 4^th quarter the Broncos would open the gates and let everyone in for free.

That 1967 season got me hooked on Broncos football.  The next season (1968) the Broncos had a kids end zone season ticket price of $2/game and $14 for the 7 game season (for age 12 and under).  I bought one season ticket in the South Stands, my friend Greg bought the seat next to me.  I bought Greg’s season ticket rights in the 1980’s (when you could do that from a non-family member).  52 years later I still have my season ticket (and the rights to Greg’s)!

When I asked my parents if I could buy my season ticket in 1968 my Mom said, “you only have $25 in your bank account – are you sure it will have lasting enjoyment?” Uhh, I think it did have lasting enjoyment Mom! (thanks to my parents for letting me make that purchase!)

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball," from the James Earl Jones character in the movie Field of Dreams. My variation of that is "The one constant through all the years, Tim, is Bronco Football!" In 53 years of attending games, thru life's ups & downs, there has always Bronco football for me to enjoy in the Fall. I hope despite this coronavirus challenge we will be seeing NFL games later this year.

Simon Fletcher Again Visits the Denver Broncos QB Club

Denver Broncos Ring of Famer made a return visit to our Denver Broncos Quarterback Club luncheon today.  Simon entertained the standing room only crowd with new stories AND he cooked a delicious bbq lunch for us!

Simon was in Houston to see Von Miller break his record for career sacks by a Bronco.  "Every year I want to see Bronco records fall, including mine.  That means the team is improving," Simon said.  Simon related how he worked with Von in Von's rookie year to teach him the subtleties of rushing the passer.

Simon predicted the Broncos will make a run for the playoffs in 2020.  "Drew Lock is a fiery leader, the entire team rallied around him," said Simon.

After a few remarks Simon took questions from the audience.

"Why did you pick #73 as your uniform number?"

I was #82 in high school, #19 in college, and when given a choice of numbers I wanted two that added up to 10 like they did in high school and college.  So 73 was the choice.

"Do you hate the Raiders?"

I never hated the Raiders.  If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have set the Bronco record for all time sacks!

"What was your most memorable game?"

In my rookie year I just played special teams until we played Pittsburgh.  Joe Collier decided to go to a four man front that game so he put me in the starting lineup.  I ended up with 13 tackles and assists!.  After the game a few of the great Bronco defensive players I had admired and now I played with (Tom Jackson, Billy Thompson, and others) came up to my locker room and said, "Way to play like a Bronco, rookie!"

"Who was the toughest offensive tackle you played against?"

Gary Zimmerman.  He was so athletic and a tough matchup when we played the Vikings.  I was glad he was my teammate later in his career.

"What would your game be like if you played today?

I promise you I could chase Mahomes butt down if I played today with my speed!

The luncheon was held at a new and special location for the club - American Legion Post 22 in Northglenn.  The Legion were great hosts as they helped with the lunch and told us of the work the Legion does in the community.  The QB Club donated one half of the proceeds from their raffle items this day to the worthy causes of the Legion.

After speaking Simon met fans individually, taking pictures and signing autographs.  Simon was very generous with his time this day!

And the BBQ lunch Simon made for the club was delicious!  Pictured above is information about his catering company.

The QB Club thanks Simon and American Legion Post 22 for a great event!  Stay tuned for an announcement of our next meeting.